This is the Problem with Pretaping

To paraphrase, that’s what OPB’s Dave Miller said before a retake on the intro to a story about a report issued by the state on elder and disabled adult abuse. The story was the second segment on this morning’s “Think OutLoud”. He was retaking the intro because he wasn’t happy with how he had said the words “vunerable adults” as he described that upcoming story. It was one of those rare moments when you get to peek behind the veil of what seems so often like aural perfection to see the tiny screw ups that most producers and editors successfully remove.

It also made me realize that Think Outloud isn’t live. They’re clear that the evening rebroadcast isn’t live, but I’ve always thought the morning version is. It isn’t, but it suddenly made sense why they tell listeners earlier in the morning to start submitting comments for Think Outloud; because they begin recording the program at 10 a.m. and are finished between 11 and noon, which is when they broadcast the taped version for the first time.

I’ve talked about these kind of mistakes before, noting that with the sophistication of equipment and the crunch of time, it can sometimes be easy to miss a retake until you hear it later. It can be a cringe worthy moment.

It will be interesting if Mr. Miller’s retake is in the evening re-broadcast.